A man in San Antonio has opened his Airbnb property to dozens of migrants who need shelter in Texas as resource centers report being overwhelmed by an influx.
Santiago Rodriguez has welcomed up to 40 migrants into his Airbnb in the past two weeks, according to Arizona Family. The father of three says he’s spent thousands of dollars providing food, clothing and hygiene supplies to those in need.
Rodriguez is from Mexico City, but was raised in San Antonio. He’s a car salesman who has apparently decided to become a bit of a humanitarian after he noticed how dire the situation was for many migrants.
Rodriguez admits that while his fix may only be affecting a small group among those coming into the U.S., he’s helping to the best of his ability. He says he has been picking up willing migrants who are stuck waiting outside his local Catholic Charities-run Migrant Resource Center.
“They had no blankets. All these people using cartons to cover themself,” Rodriguez said according to KENS News. “My goal is doing this until the winter is gone. I cannot help everybody. I try the best I can.”
The Migrant Resource Center is reportedly overwhelmed with migrants who are standing in nearby parking lots, stranded, all trying to find ways to a better life. Many are in need of food, shelter and necessities. A spokesperson for Catholic Charities told KENS News that the center is at capacity daily now and that, as of the start of the new year, funding has been slashed.
KENS News says that community members have been providing those waiting migrants with aid, but Rodriguez hopes that the center can collaborate more with local organizations to provide much-needed assistance and aid.
Rodriguez says that he is willing to accept donations to maintain his mission of aid. His email is Santiago711autogroup@yahoo.com for those interested in helping.
